Armed tribesmen kidnap two foreigners in southern Yemen

ADEN, Yemen, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- A group of armed tribesmen intercepted a Red Cross vehicle Tuesday evening and kidnapped two foreigners along with their Yemeni driver in the southern province of Lahij, a local security official said.

The armed group forced a vehicle of the International Committee of the Red Cross to stop at a checkpoint in the Musimeer district, taking the two foreigners in the vehicle and their Yemeni driver to an unknown location, the security official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

A French woman of Moroccan origin was one of the hostages, the official said, adding that the attackers were demanding the immediate release of a jailed tribesman.

The official was unable to identify the nationality of the other hostages.

A tribal source told Xinhua that the foreigners are well treated.

The violence-rattled Arab country has long been plagued by the kidnapping of foreigners by powerful tribesmen to press the government to meet their demands, including releasing jailed clansmen.